One of its fastest-growing sectors, India’s healthcare industry is expected to cross the US$372 billion mark by FY 2022. Increase in private investments since the government allowed cent percent foreign direct investment (FDI) in medical devices is seen as one of the policy decisions strengthening India’s dream of having a niche in quality care delivery. […]
industry
Sex discrimination and women in the workforce
Endemic sex discrimination takes its toll on the Indian economy, with the absence of women in the workforce, an imbalanced sex ratio, and social prejudices holding back a boon for India’s GDP. According to a report published recently in The Print, almost 120 million women who have at least a secondary education do not participate […]
A trans fats-free India by 2022?
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) intends for India to be a trans fats-free nation by 2022 with efforts underway to phase them out from food in the next coming years. “Momentum is growing for the global elimination of industrially-produced trans [fats], with nearly one third of the world’s population in 28 […]
Online retailers to act against e-cigarette sales
Online retailers have said they will take action to make sure e-cigarettes are not sold on their platforms in the wake of the Centre’s ban on the devices. Following the announcement of the ban on Wednesday, it was reported that some online retailers such as Amazon and Flipkart still had e-cigarettes listed for sale. Both […]
India’s e-cigarette ban: Online retailers still list them
India’s e-cigarette ban came into force this week, but electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) are still listed for purchase by online retailers. Vendors such as Amazon and Flipkart continue to offer some devices although others have acted in accordance with the government prohibition. Sites including Vapestop and Litejoy have discontinued trading in the wake of […]
Insurance boon for IVF?
Some insurance companies may cover in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) under health insurance plans, it has been reported. The news comes as a boon for couples struggling with infertility, a condition affecting an increasing number of Indians. According to the Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction, between ten and fourteen percent of Indians struggle with their fertility. In […]
Is the Centre about to ban e-cigarettes?
The controversial push by the Union Health Ministry to ban e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) is closer than ever to manifesting in law. Ministers have been sent an ordinance for review, which outlines how the Centre intends to ban the production, sale, and imports of the devices. Under the Prohibition of E-cigarettes […]
E-cigarette industry appeals against potential ban
The e-cigarette industry has appealed against the proposed ban on the devices, calling on regulation instead of outright prohibition. With the Centre in position to initiate a blanket ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) by classifying them under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the Trade Representatives of ENDS in India (TRENDS), an association of […]
A Mumbai beer plant brewing a public health issue?
United Breweries is India’s biggest producer of beer – but an inspection has found stunning sanitation lapses. The brewing giant, which claims to account for more than fifty percent of beer production in India and saw its revenue grow by 21 percent in the 2018 financial year, was flagged on several concerning grounds by the […]
Opening Indian pharma’s Bottle of Lies
“They often make their worst drugs — with the lowest-quality ingredients and the most manufacturing shortcuts — for the least regulated markets, including India,” writes investigative journalist Katherine Eban in her book Bottle of Lies: The Inside Story of the Generic Boom (also subtitled as Ranbaxy and the Dark Side of Indian Pharma), an exposé […]